Tag Archives: meditation

The Most Real – Revisited

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(This article was originally posted back in April of 2013.  But I think there is truth here that deserves to be revisited.  I hope you find this inspiring and helpful in your spiritual walk.  – Victor)

I remember a number of years ago when we were still living in the mountains of southwestern Pennsylvania. Sue (my wife) had an appointment down in Uniontown, at the bottom of the mountain. I drove her to town, dropped her off and then went for a drive. After running a couple of errands, I thought I would find somewhere to relax and spend some time in much needed prayer and meditation. Having decided this, I drove onto the grounds of a monastery and retreat center that is located in town.

Before this, I had never explored those grounds. They are truly beautiful. This land had once been the estate of one of the local coal barons who prospered in the area decades ago. There is a stately, almost majestic quality to the landscape. Ancient trees overhang neatly trimmed lawns and dot the ridges of rolling hillocks. Scattered among these lovely old trees are a number of shrines and statues of various saints. There are also park benches placed at various spots, inviting you to stop and meditate. I took advantage of one such spot. Continue reading →

The Muddle of Mindfulness

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One of the most common buzz words going around today in the fields of health, medicine and psychology is mindfulness.  You hear it popping up in discussions on wellness, nutrition, education, business, sports, etc.  Seminars, classes and conferences are being offered at universities, medical centers, and professional organizations around the world.  For example, in May of 2004 the National Institutes of Health held a daylong symposium called “Mindfulness Meditation and Health.”  The original mindfulness program developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center is now used by over 700 hospitals worldwide.[1]  It is obviously something that is very popular. Continue reading →

Zen Buddhism

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“What is the sound of one hand clapping?” “If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear, does it make a sound?” Ever hear these odd questions? We usually think of them as silly, humorous, even nonsensical statements. What most people don’t realize is that these are genuine expressions of Zen Buddhist belief. Called koans, these questions are meant to cause a person to go outside rational thought and experience an intuitive understanding of reality. This flash of spiritual perception, called satori, is the goal of the Zen practitioner. Zen teaches that enlightenment is not basically a matter of belief, or intellectual comprehension. Instead, it is a non-rational experience of the divine, of recognizing one’s own identity with “the all.” It is emptying the mind of thought so that a person comes into an immediate perception of ultimate truth. One man defined Zen practice as “concentration with an empty mind.” Continue reading →

Take His Peace

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{Advent Greetings. It has been so long, too long, since I have written anything. These past few months have been incredibly busy, which explains but does not excuse the long absence from this blog. I did want to return for the holidays, though. Here is a little something that is excerpted from a book I wrote for Advent. The book is called The Journey to Christmas. Hope you enjoy.}

The season of Advent is often such a hurried, busy time. I often think: What have we done to ourselves. We have not only robbed this time of its spiritual significance, but we have also robbed it of its joy and peacefulness. What should be a time of quiet reflection and meditation has become rushed and “care-full.”

Even as I write this, I feel little peace, and lots of anxiety. I am getting ready for an upcoming event here at the office—an event I am in charge of and must plan. I am scheduled to preach in a local church on Sunday—and it is Thursday morning and right now I don’t have the vaguest idea what I am going to speak on. I feel pressured by all the duties and responsibilities of my job… not to mention family, shopping, planning parties, and all the other “obligations” attached to this time of the year. I am not quiet in my mind, and I am not at peace.

Yet, I should be. Advent forces us to focus on the meaning of life, the purposes of God, the promises of the Savior. One of these promises (and prophecies) is that He will be the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). He rules in peace. He grants peace. His reign is (and will ever be) a rule of peace. His future millennial kingdom is often depicted in art as the “peaceable kingdom.” So, if He is the Prince of Peace, and I am His, His child, should not His peace rule in my heart. What’s the problem? The problem is not with Him—it’s with me. I allow things, events, people to rob me of His peace.

I remember that years ago Bill and Gloria Gaither recorded a dramatic reading set to music. It was called “Take His Peace.” I have often thought of those words, especially the verb in that phrase. For there is a great truth here. If I am to have the peace of God ruling in my heart, I must choose to take His peace. He is the Lord of Peace (Yahweh Shalom). He offers peace. His peace is available through His grace. But I must choose to take it.

And…

I must choose to take it even if what surrounds me does not lend itself to peacefulness. Indeed, it is in such times that I MUST even more emphatically choose to take His peace.

Consider this bit of ecclesiastical trivia: In the Eastern Orthodox Church today is the feast of the prophet Habakkuk. Habakkuk understood what it was like to live in troubled times. Indeed, his book is basically focused on dialoguing with God about things the prophet doesn’t understand. Yet, when we get to the conclusion of the matter, we heard some incredibly profound and powerfully moving words. Listen to the prophet:

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
(Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV)

Habakkuk discovered this great truth. Our focus must be on God, not circumstance. That is the way to peace—and to worship.

So in this Advent season, with all the external busyness, frustration, worry and anxiety… let us each strive internally to take and enjoy His peace. Remember, it is the free gift of the Prince of Peace Himself.

Group Snapshot: Transcendental Meditation

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Imagine that by just sitting quietly for 20 minutes two times a day and easily chanting a simple, “meaningless” word you can alter your heart rate, lower your stress level, change your thinking, revitalize your physical body, and achieve spiritual bliss. Wow! Sign me up. As overly simplistic as this sounds, it is one of the basic claims that Transcendental Meditation, or TM, has been making for the past 40+ years.

TM is a popularized and simplified form of Hindu practice that was brought to the West by a Hindu guru called Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The Maharishi (meaning “great sage”) was catapulted onto the world stage in the late 60’s by the Beatles. Soon TM was all the rage among rock musicians and film celebrities. Its claims to positively affect the physical and mental health of practitioners caused it to be taught in government institutions, from elementary schools to federal prisons. It main PR approach was that it was not a religious exercise, but a mental health discipline—available to anyone. Continue reading →